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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida, clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Let’s take our Bibles and look at a few things, shall we? shall we? Turn in your Bible to the book of 2 Timothy, 2 Timothy and chapter 2. I want to just kind of hit some highlights on some scripture for you to think about because I believe that it’s very important for God’s children to know what God wants them to do. Now first of all, you can’t become a child of God by wishing it, desiring it, even praying for it, you must believe something.

You must believe that when Christ died, He died for you and paid for all of your sins. You must believe that. And that He rose again from the dead. You must believe that. And that if you accept Him as your Savior, He gives you eternal life as a free gift. And lo and behold, you become a child of God. So the scriptures are for us. Some of it is directly to us. But here we have in the Scriptures a wonderful story laid out in such a way that it lets us know what God wants us to do.

And you need to know that because you and I are going to have to give an account to the Lord someday for what we have done or what we haven’t done. Now going to heaven, that’s free. That’s the gift of God. It’s not a word. It’s by faith alone and what Christ did. Serving the Lord is a result of what we do because of what He did. He saved us and gave us eternal life. He could have took us on out of here, but He left us here.

I’ve been here 56 years longer than when I trust the Lord, because I was 18 then and now I’m an old man. But one of these days we’re gonna check out of here and then what? Well then we have to give an account of ourselves. So wouldn’t it behoove us to find out what he wants us to do? So chapter 2 as Paul the aged apostle writes to a young man named Timothy. So I’m gonna address this as though you’re a young man or a young woman and some of older men still thank your young.

So we’ll look at it. Second Timothy chapter 2, look in verse 1, thou therefore my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. I believe you cannot understand what grace is about until you understand what the gospel is about. You see the gospel, the good news of how you trust Christ is Savior, that God doesn’t save you by your works, He saves you by grace. It means you didn’t earn it, you didn’t work for it, you didn’t deserve it.

Just the opposite of works. So a lot of preachers tell you that you have to earn your way to heaven by turning from your sin. Stop being bad. Or commit your life to Christ means start being good. Both of those has worked for salvation. God says it’s free. It’s not you committing your life, a high you live to the Lord. strictly by grace alone in what Christ did and God saves you. Now he said, be strong in that message because that’s the purpose of your life.

Telling people what Christ did for you. Now I trusted Christ as my Savior and I could have just forgot about it until I get to heaven. Just as long as I got my little pinkies inside the pearly gates, I’m good to go. Let the rest of the world go to hell. Why should I care? I’m going. But the love of God is spread abroad in our heart. And so the Holy Spirit sometimes just doesn’t let you rest. He works on the inside of you, produces a little turmoil in your life.

Sometimes you sense that you just can’t find any satisfaction during anything else in the whole world. And you go from one thing to the next to the next to the next, and next thing you know, you’re an old man, and you do away your life and never accomplish what God intended. Wouldn’t that be a shame? Because you don’t get a rerun. No replays. One trip to the next. through life and they got to get it right. This is something you got to get right, the purpose of your life.

So he says this in verse two, and the things which thou have heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to do what? Teach others also. So what we seek to do, whether through Sunday school or church, through the college, through ranch, is to be able to teach people to be faithful so that they’ll learn what they need to teach others also. If you have trusted Christ as your Savior and you cannot teach the Word of God, shame, shame, shame.

You should be able to teach the Word of God because it is the will of God that every child of God learned the Word of God so you can tell people what God said. It’s not important what you believe or think. It’s important what God says. And so you learn what God says. This book is God’s mind on paper. So you study the Bible and you put God’s mind in your mind and you’ll learn to think the way God wants you to think so that you can live the way God wants you to live.

And if you don’t believe right, you can’t live right. Understand that. If you don’t believe right, you cannot live right. So the Bible says to be strong in Bible doctrine, The Bible doctrine comes from sound words. Sound words comes from the Word of God. So you’re to have a sound mind, believe in the right things. So you make the right decisions for your life. So you want you to learn so you can teach others also. Now look at the next verse.

Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. You see, once you trusted Christ as Savior, you have been enrolled in an army. You’re in the Lord’s office. You’re in the Lord’s service. Now, you got to go to boot camp, you got to prepare yourself, got to get fit to do what God wants you to do with your life. And if you want to serve the Lord, you don’t serve God your way. Well, I’ll serve God my way, Yankee, and you serve God your way.

No, no, no, no, no. Yankee has to serve God God’s way. And you have to serve God God’s way. God only gave us one Bible. He didn’t give us each individual a Bible with different instructions. The same instructions for me are the same instructions for you. It’s not another Bible. It’s only one word of God. So if I studied the book and do what God wants, and you studied the book and you do what God wants, we both should be able to get along doing the same job.

Whatever that job is, we should be on the same page. Wouldn’t you agree? God says be of the same mind. Notice what else he says. Endure hardness. It means preparing to serve God is not an easy thing. Serving God in this world is not an easy thing. Now we often think about, you know, his burden is light, his joke is easy. That is when you have learned how to depend upon the Lord. So when you start off, it’s not the easiest thing in the world, learning a new life.

You ever hear about people who lost their job and they gotta learn a new job? They gotta get some more training. You trusted Christ to save me. Now you got to learn a new job, how to serve God. Then he makes a statement. And verse four, no man that wirth in Tangelith himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who have called him to be a soldier. So you see, it is not the will of God that we spend our lives being entangled with the affairs of this life.

We’re supposed to be involved with that life. You know, this eternal life thing that God’s given us this Christian life thing, where God wants to live his life through us because God has a reason, God has a purpose, and he does. That he may please him who have called him to be a soldier. You see, the Bible says in the book of Revelation, in chapter five when he says, talking about how God says we are created by him and for him, and that we are created to please him.

So the purpose of our life is to please God, not ourselves. So when he talks about pleasing God, he says, you can’t please God except by faith. No man can please God except by faith in Hebrews in chapter 11. So here we are, got a purpose in life. to please God. So then I should find out what does God want me to do that pleases him. So yet that’s why you studied the scriptures. And if there’s knowledge that you don’t know, it could affect decisions that you’re going to have to make.

And so ignorance is not bliss, especially when you have to give account to the Lord for your life. Now get this. He says in verse five, and if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully. Now in the book of 1 Corinthians in chapter 9, we talked about us running a race, and we run a race because you want to win. And if you want to win, you have to obey the rules.

I was watching the Olympics the other night, and they had them all up on the line, and they’re fixing to run as fast as they can run. And fired a gun, but right before one man jumped just a split second too soon. And they blew the whistle and they all had to come back, start over again. But that man was disqualified. And he showed him he went over to the side and he got down on all fours and he sobbed like a baby.

Because four years in training, since the last four years, and then he has to set on the sideline because he was disqualified. He broke the rule. Now, see, I’m glad that this is not how we go to heaven. Going to heaven is a gift. It’s But what God has for you and I, if you’re going to run the race, you have to prepare yourself. And then he says you’ve got to play by the rules. You see, the one thing, if you want God’s blessings upon you, I mean God’s blessings.

Not that talking about how you can manipulate people and walk over people and misuse people. I’m talking about you want God’s blessings upon you. You have to be honest. You have to be decent. You need to have good Christian character. Because if you don’t see then God’s gonna take he can move his hand off of you and not bless your life You can go through the motions and play the game But there’s nothing stronger in a man’s life when he knows God has put his hand upon my shoulders God has anointed me God has blessed me God wants to use me But to just to play the game of Christianity Where once in a while you might read the Bible once in a while you might witness once in a but it’s not your fervor It’s not, you’re not gospel driven.

And yet God’s gonna have every one of us given a count of ourselves to Him. So He says here, no man that warped and tangled himself with affairs of this life. How entangled are you? That you can’t do what God wants you to do. You’re so busy, you don’t have time to go to church. You don’t have time to witness. You don’t have time to study God’s word. If you God wants you to be a missionary or an evangelist or a pastor, do you have time to prepare for it?

Well, but you make a decision. Everybody makes decisions. Some people make decisions that make a difference. And some people make decisions that never make a bit of difference. In the book of Jude, he talks about making a difference, having compassion, making a difference. I did not want to live my life and not make a difference. I want to influence people as many as I can for as long as I can, until I can’t do it anymore. Notice what else he says here.

Look in verse five, when he makes the statement verse five, for if a man also strive for master. Yet he is not crowned except he strive lawfully. You see, crowned means that’s a reward. You see, salvation is free. Rewards are earned. So God says, when you get to heaven and he’s going to stand at the judgment, see the Christ, every one of us that no Christ is Savior. God is going to separate the gold, silver, and the precious stones from the haywood in the stubble, and he’s going to reward you for the gold, silver, and the precious stones.

The haywood in the stubble, you’re going to lose because it’s going to be burned up by fire. And God is going to reward you for what you did for him. So he says this day is coming. Yet he’s not crowned unless he strived lawfully. You’ve got to serve God God’s way. You don’t serve God your way. And you’re not the epitome of expert judgment when it comes to your life. Do right and trust the Lord for the results. Look what else he says.

He says in verse six, the husbandman that laborer must be first partakers of the fruit. You see, the fruit comes after your labor. You got to plant the seeds before you get the results. You want God’s blessings upon your life, then sow the seed. You see, this is the seed. The Bible tells us about the book of Ruth. It talks about sowing seeds on purpose. So you reach in and you get the seeds, And as you go through life, you’re sowing seeds.

You don’t know what’s gonna grow. Some of us are going to be on hard ground, thorny ground, good ground, but you’re going to be so in seeds and that’s the people’s minds. Some people are rejected, some people believe it. We won’t know until we get to heaven to see the results of what we’ve been doing and sowing seeds. So our whole life is involved in sowing the seed, but you can’t sow what you don’t have. You have eternal life.

But do you know the seeds in the Word of God and you can carry them in your mind. And you can sow those seeds, but many people, never, as he says in 119 Psalm, how will all shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed according to thy word? Thy word have I hid in my heart that might not sin against God. You see, you put the word of God into your mind so that you can sow the word, sow the seed.

But if you don’t learn it, you won’t have it to sow. So important. Look at the next statement in verse 7, it says, consider what I say. And the Lord give the understanding in all things. See if you was to sit down and just read this it would still tell you what I just told you. It’s called this the book. Consider think about it. Why does you think this is in here because some people never consider. They never look at it.

Never think about it. They’re so busy doing their life dream. You know in America it’s always the American dream. Listen to the politicians. You’ve got to have your American dream. Well I just don’t care anything about the American dream. I just wonder what’s the will of God? That’s my dream. That’s what I live for. Look what else he says in verse 8, remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel, wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer even under bonds, but the word of God is not bound because when you sow the seed, he says it will not return on him void.

Paul says I’ve been in bonds, I’ve been in prison because I preached the word of God, my gospel. That’s what it’s about. Learning to do it, but there’s persecution, there’s heartache, there’s sacrifices that you have to make in your life. It’s done on cakewalk. It’s a struggle. When I think back to when I was 22 years old with a wife and two kids, I decided to go to Bible College. Can you believe that? I didn’t even finish high school.

I dropped out. I finished the 10th grade. I didn’t go to 11th grade. My dad was still there. But I spent the happiest three years of my life in that 10th grade. But anyway, I’ve never finished high school. Now I’ve got a wife, I got two kids. But when I read the scriptures, it burned inside of me and I thought, well, somebody ought to do this. Somebody ought to do this. Somebody else. But not me. I mean, how are people going to be saved if they don’t hear the gospel?

But well, that’s what everybody else is doing, but I don’t have to do it. Not me, I’m not qualified, I’m not a graduate. Only I could become a president of the college to start one, but anyway, we’re gonna move right along. It says here in verse nine, I’ve got all these problems. In verse 10, therefore I endure all things for the elect sakes that they may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus unto eternal glory. I endure what I do because God has chosen to save all those that believe.

So Paul’s goal was get as many as I can to believe because of salvation. But this was the thrust of his life. Paul wasn’t here to get rich. Not to start how many businesses he can have. It was always about I want to keep as many people as I can out of hell. Do you really believe there’s a fire burning hell? If a person doesn’t trust Christ’s Savior, they’re going to spend an eternity in hell. Well I know that’s not correct.

Go around and tell people that today. By the way, if you don’t trust Christ’s Savior, you know there’s a hell don’t you? You offended me. Called me emotional strain and stress. Now I’m uncomfortable. I’m going to sue you for hate. It’s coming. So we ought not say anything because it’ll offend people. do you think we ought to do it even if it offends people? I can’t hear you. Thank you. God bless your little peep picking heart. And so we are going to be, yes, persecuted because there are consequences to these things.

Now look what he says. In verse 11, it is a faithful saying for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him and that is true. We died with Christ, we took Him as our Savior and we’re going to live. We’re going to live for Him for all eternity. Now the next verse causes sometimes people a little bit of problems. Notice what He says in verse 12, If we suffer we shall also reign with Him. If we deny him, he will deny us.

All right, there’s no problem with this verse. If we serve with the Lord, we’re going to live and reign with Christ. But if we don’t serve the Lord and we deny Him the right to use us for His purpose, because we belong to Him, then He’s going to deny us. What’s He going to deny us? Well, if you go back into previous parts of the chapter, you’ll find out that you’re supposed to be a good soldier. You’re not going to be a good soldier.

You’re not going to be able to teach others and You’re not going to be striving lawfully and You’re not going to sow the way you ought to sow So you’re not going to have the fruit that you ought to have and you’re not going to be crowned the way God says you could have been crowned You’re going to suffer loss of a lot of this. So God can never deny you salvation But he could deny you the results of what a good life You to the Christ could have had Don’t you want God’s blessings here and his rewards when you get to heaven, but he’s going to deny you so much all because of a bad decision.

Look what that one good decision of trusting Christ to save his God for you. You became a child of God. You’re going to get a brand new body. You’re going to live with him in all eternity. Walk on streets of gold. I mean, everything will be totally blissed. One decision you make. And now he’s left us here to have a multitude of decisions. there’s any consequences. Yeah. My eternal destination can never be touched. My going to heaven can’t be, you know, revoked.

It cannot be a null. But there’s rewards that God would love to get you an honor and praise and glory for all eternity that you’re going to lose out on all because you denied him the right to use you for his purpose. You see, we’re We’re always battling between God’s will, what God wants, and what I want. What about me? I mean, it’s my life. I mean, I ought to be able to do whatever I want to do. I didn’t ask to be born, you know.

Well, who did? Look what he says. In verse 13, if we believe not yet he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself. You see, when you trusted Christ, what did he promise to do for you? Save you? Well, what if down the road you get to where? Because you didn’t read, you didn’t study, you didn’t serve him, you didn’t advance in the knowledge of the Lord and you can even doubt your own salvation? Well he can’t deny himself. Look what he says there in verse 19.

Verse 19, nevertheless the foundation of God’s standard sure having this seal, what is the seal? The Lord knoweth them that are his. When you trusted Christ as your Savior, does God know who you are? Does God know who you are? God knows His children. And He said He could never cast you out, He could never lose you. So once you’re a child of God, you’re always a child of God. And even if you stop believing, I’m sorry but you have to go to heaven anyway because God cannot change His promise.

He can’t change His Word. So you don’t have to ever worry about losing your salvation, but you can lose a lot of the impact that you could have made in your life. Look what he says here in verse 14. Of these things, put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no prophet. You see, in your Christian life, there’s things about profit and no profit. When you studied James in chapter two, it says, what does that profit my brethren?

So we’re talking about the prophet and a Christian’s life. You see, God left you here because he God’s a businessman. When God planned something, he wants something to come back. God did something, he wants the results. And God says concerning you and your life, you see, God wants profit from you. He wants something back from what he’s done for you. Now he saved you, gave you eternal life, left you here. How profitable is your life being spiritually? Spiritually, how you doing?

Are you growing in the Lord, but you’re in the Lord? Can you do more for the Lord now because you have applied yourself and become fit for the Lord’s work over what you have been in the last few years? Are you closer to the Lord? Are you still walking with the Lord? Does he mean more to you? Are you growing and becoming more godly? Are you becoming more like the world? Been conformed to the world, fallen in love with the world?

Nobody can answer those questions except you and God. God already knows where you are, doesn’t He? Look what else He says. Why do you think this is so important? When He says they’re in verse 15, study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. I wonder who this is supposed to be for. This is beyond it for certain people, right? Or maybe this is for all of God’s children?

When he says, these things right, I unto you, that you may know that you have eternal life. These things have I written on you that believe. So it’s written to those who believe that you can know you have eternal life. So who was it written to? Those who believe. Studied to show thyself approved. Approved. Under God. A workman. Why do you study the Bible? So you can do something with it. God’s looking for workmen. Remember he said this, for the harvest is great, but the labors are few.

Why are there a few labors? Because you have to work to be a labor. You have to be fit. You gotta do something. But now if you wanted to start a new business, you would learn how to do whatever it takes and cause you wanna make profit. Well, what about spiritual profit? You know the Bible says in the book of Matthew in chapter six, he said, lay up treasure in heaven where thieves cannot break through and steal something you can’t lose.

Sir, you warned once they’re laid up, can never be lost. You can only lose what you could have done and didn’t do. When God said He wants you to receive a full reward means you want you to serve your Lord with all your life, with all your heart. Look what He says back here. In verse 16 when you want to do something that’s right and positive, you also have to stop something that’s not good. There’s always people trying to put you down and hold you back.

They’re not positive. They really don’t care about your life. But it says in verse 16, but shunned profane and vain bablands, for they will increase under more ungodliness. Anything that causes you to become more ungodly, stay away from. And the things that will help you to be godly go toward. Simple. How easy it is. But it says in verse 17, but their word will eat at the canker of whom it’s hymenias and phileasic who concerning the truth have aired.

There’s people who don’t believe the truth and peach their air. And then there’s Christians who haven’t matured in the Lord that will believe it and it’ll affect their whole lives. You can listen to somebody who would down your discourage you from serving God and you’ll listen to what they say and then you’ll influence somebody else. And after all, you’d be surprised how many people that won’t serve the Lord wholeheartedly because they’ve because they’ve been influenced. Somebody lied to them.

You see, whenever the Lord’s in something, the devil’s in it also. The devil’s trying to destroy every person because he can’t get your soul. He wants to ruin your life and your testimony, the influence, the power that’s in your life. Now look what he says here in verse 18, who concerning the truth have aired and get this saying that the resurrection is passed already and overthrew the faith of some. Can you have your faith overthrown. Yes. In other words, your faith can be shipped right.

Well, that’s what he’s talking about down here when he says, if we deny him, he’ll deny us. And if we believe not yet he abided faith in him, if you don’t believe, well, that’s what he’s talking about up here concerning through your faith has been overthrown. You don’t believe like you should believe. You didn’t apply the word of God to your life. And so you’re You’re not as strong as you ought to be, a weak Christian. And when you are like that, you’re not going to have a strong testimony, a strong life.

You’re not going to be able to get people to trust Christ to save you because you want witness. You’re not going to be able to get people to challenge and serve the Lord because you won’t be doing it yourself. You see, water seeks its own level. Do you want to serve God? Are you a new listener to Bibleline? Do you enjoy the teachings of Dr. Arnold? Well, if you’ve never contacted us before, we want to give you Dr. Arnold’s book, The Gospel Driven Man.

Every day we receive many emails from folks who have questions about repentance and salvation, about faith in works, and about how to share the gospel with friends and loved ones. This book, The Gospel Driven Man, covers all those topics, and we want all new listeners of Bibleline to receive a free copy. There’s no obligation, no donation necessary, simply call us at 1-800-576-3771 or write to us and request your free copy of the Gospel-Driven Man. The mailing address is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634.

Again, don’t forget to include your mailing address, and God bless you and thank you for listening to Bibleline. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road. Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day.

Believe in that the Lord is coming soon. Just keep looking up.